diff --git a/migrations b/migrations
index 3b3eae9..0a4957d 160000
--- a/migrations
+++ b/migrations
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 3b3eae9b02e25ae9077d5f5e0c63cf694b896e58
+Subproject commit 0a4957d48c308b224c107506cf0bd88f1c32b0cd
diff --git a/scripts/common.sh b/scripts/common.sh
index 9ccd839..379acd1 100644
--- a/scripts/common.sh
+++ b/scripts/common.sh
@@ -7,3 +7,21 @@ query_file() {
 query() {
   psql -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 --single-transaction --quiet "$1" --command="$2" 1>&2
 }
+
+schema_changed() {
+  base="$1"
+  head="$2"
+  if [[ -z "$head" ]]; then
+    base="$1~"
+    head="$1"
+  fi
+
+  schema_changed=$(git diff --quiet "$base" "$head" -- ./schema)
+  schema_changed_exit=$?
+
+  if [[ "$schema_changed_exit" = "1" ]]; then
+    exit 0
+  else
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
diff --git a/scripts/diff.sh b/scripts/diff.sh
index 9d8bb80..acbc3ff 100755
--- a/scripts/diff.sh
+++ b/scripts/diff.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 set -xe
 
+source ./scripts/common.sh
 source ./scripts/env.sh ./.env.schema
 
 base="$1"
@@ -24,13 +25,11 @@ if [[ -z "$base" ]] || [[ -z "$head" ]]; then
 fi
 
 set +e
-schema_changed=$(git diff --quiet "$base" "$head" -- ./schema)
-schema_changed_exit=$?
-set -e
-if [[ "$schema_changed_exit" = "0" ]]; then
+if schema_changed "$base" "$head"; then
   echo ""
   exit 0;
 fi;
+set -e
 
 if [[ ! -f "$migration" ]]; then
   ./scripts/build.sh base "$base" 1>&2 || (echo "base failed to build" && exit 1)
diff --git a/scripts/migrate.sh b/scripts/migrate.sh
index fe64dcb..7ba4b27 100755
--- a/scripts/migrate.sh
+++ b/scripts/migrate.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ source ./scripts/env.sh ./.env
 get_dnim_database_count="copy (select count(*) from pg_database where datname = 'dnim') to stdout with null as '';"
 dnim_database_count=$(query "$POSTGRES_URI/postgres" "$get_dnim_database_count" 2>&1)
 
-git submodule update --init migrations
+git submodule update --init --remote migrations
 
 if [[ "$dnim_database_count" = "0" ]]; then
   echo "fresh database"
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ else
     if [[ -f "./migrations/${base}_skipped.sql" ]]; then
       echo "${base} (skipped)"
       continue
+    elif ! (schema_changed "$base"); then
+      echo "${base} (skipped, no changes to schema)"
+      continue
     elif [[ -f "./migrations/$mig" ]]; then
       head=$(echo $mig | awk -F'[_.]' '{print $3}')
       echo "${base} -> ${head}"